Mentoring Beginner's Day @ PyCon Nove

This doc applies both to coaches for the beginners' day, and to
beginner-mentors for the week ahead. It's designed to support a briefing on
the first day of the conference.

(Source: TBD. Stay Tuned)

Beginner mentors

The idea of "beginner mentors" is to provide designated people that beginners
can approach at any point during the conference, and ask questions, say what
they're confused about, and seek advice about what talks to go to next, what
technology to start learning, or whatever it may be. It's just about marking
out a few friendly people in what may otherwise be a very intimidating crowd.

(it's hoped that people who are coaches for the beginners' day will also
volunteer to be mentors for the rest of the conference. Other volunteers
might do it as well though!)

Apply for Mentorship

How to be a good beginner-mentor

So, a good beginner mentor should, first off, actually be prepared to drop
everything and answer questions from a beginner. This might not be as easy
as it sounds -- conferences are times when we all look forward to catching
up with our conference friends that we only see once a year, and we enjoying
geeking out to the absolute max and talking about all the tech stuff we've
been learning, the more obscure the better. That's a scary conversation for a
beginner to interrupt. But it's also a conversation that's very difficult
to abandon half-way through to answer some really basic questions; and, not
all beginners are charming and polite!

But it's worth it -- programming is joy, especially in Python, and if we
can help make more happy programmers in the world, then that's the sum total
of human happiness increased.

Read this (for both coaches and mentors)

We're all here because we want to help beginners, so that's pre-qualified us
already. Here's a few tips from some amazing coaches and people who've been
out there doing coaching for a while.

The beginner mentor's oath

And now well all say the oath together:

The crowd at the registration desk gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until the end of the sprints. I shall speak no jargon, feign no surprise, well no actuallys, and avoid all subtle isms. I will remember what it was like to be a beginner. I shall wear no crowns and seek no glory in geeking out with all my conference mates, and instead will drop anything at a moment's notice to help any beginner with sympathy, patience and a smile. I am the mentor in the darkness. I am the friendly coach in the halls. I am the dunderinit for new happy programmers. I pledge my life and honor to the Beginners Watch, for this day, and all the scheduled conference days to come.